Changeable sign exhibitor



Dec 9, 1924; 1,519,076 E. D- WEED CHANGEABLE SIGN EXHIBITOR Filed May1'7, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

EDWARD D. WEED, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

CHANGEABLE SIGN EXHEBITOR.

Application filed May 17, 1922.

. a web which is wound on the reels and carries the sign to besuccessively displayed.

The prinary object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved changeable sign exhibitor particularly adapted for use onstreet cars and controlled by the operator as through means of a pushbutton. for causing the signs to be displayed in succession. It shouldbe understood, however, that my improvements are not limited to thisparticular use, namely for street and station signs, but that they areadapted for exhibiting cards, pictures, and signs of any description andfor any purpose.

My invention also contemplates the provision of novel mechanism forcontrolling the feed of the web, and also for reversing the feed, aswill be explained more fully hereinafter.

A further object is to provide an electrically operated and controlledmechanism of the character described comprising such few parts and novelarrangement thereof as to enable production at a comparatively low cost.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by thoseskilled in this art as the invention becomes better understood byreference to the following description when considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of achangeable sign exhibitor embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the exhibitor takensubstantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 44of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detailed face view of the motor control switch;

Fig. 6 is a view showing one end of the web;

Serial No. 561,618

Fig. 7 is a view of one end of the reel,

Fig. 8 is a wiring diagram showing the electric circuit; and

Fi 9 is a cross-sectional view thru the upper reel.

My improvements may be supported on any suitable frame structure, and Iprefer to mount them upon and within a casing. so that the exhibitor isportable and may be placed in any suitable or desirable position forexhibit purposes. In the present instance, this casing is in the form ofa box like structure designated generally by 11. the front of which hasa hinged door 19 provided with a window 13 through which the sign isexhibited.

lVithin this casing I mount an upper and a lower reel 14 and 15,respectively, upon and between which is wound a web 16 which carries onone face a series of signs, such for example as street signs. Each reelis removably mounted and adapted to be inde pendently driven for thepurpose of winding the web first on one reel and then on the other. tofeed the signs in succession in one direction and then in the reversedirection. In the present instance, a drive shaft 1'? is provided fordriving the reel 14 in a counter-clockwise direction, viewing Fig. and adrive shaft 18 is provided for driving the reel 15 in a clockwisedirection. Automatically controlled mechanism is provided for operatingeach of said drive shafts to reverse the feed of the web, as will bepresently described, and other automatic control means is provided forintermittently driving either reel. as the case may be, in step by stepmovements. to move the signs in succession past the exhibit window, thiscontrol mechanism being put into operation at the will of the operatoreach time it is desired to effect a change of signs.

As an illustration of suitable mechanism for driving the reel driveshafts 17 and 18 each intermittently in opposite directions, I haveprovided an electric motor 19 in con stant driving connection throughthe agency of gears 21. with a clutch shaft 22, and a driving trainbetween the clutch shaft and each of the driving shafts 17 and 18. Oneof these driving trains comprises a spur gear 23 loose on the shaft 22and meshing with a companion gear 24: fixed to the shaft 18, andtheother comprises a sprocket gear 25 loose ontheshaft 22 and connected bymeans of the sprocket chain 26 with a clutch element 28 splined or keyedto the shaft 22 is adapted by clutch engagement of either the gear or25, to drive either the upper or lower reel as the case may be, it beingobserved that the reels will be driven in opposite directions by reasonof reversal of the direction of drive effected by the gears 23 and 211-.The clutch shifter fork 29 is adapted to be shifted by any suitablemechanism controlled by t'ccd of the-web as will be explainediercinafter, and in the present instance solenoids and 32 are employed,the core bar 33 of which is connected directly to the shifter 29.

The means for controlling the reversing clutch element. 28 from the web16 will now be described. It will first be observed that each end of theweb 16 is fixed to one of the reels and is cut away as at 3-4 as shownin Fig. 6. A controller for each reel is provided adapted to normallyengage the surface of the web and to be actuated by the break in thecontinuity thereof, caused by the opening 3%. Each controller when soactuated, will energize one of the solenoids above mentioned, for thepurpose of throwing the clutch element 28 and reversing the winding ofthe web. In

the present instance, these controllers consist of electric switcheseach having a mov-- able element normally in contact with the The switchfor the reel 14 comprises web. a contact maker 35 equipped with a roller36 and mounted to slide radially with respectto the reel, as shown inFig. 3. An expansion spring 3'? urges said contact mater upwardly sothat the roller 36 will be normally urged against the web and will bemoved into the depression 38 in the reel 14; when said recess is exposedby the opening in the web. By-this movement the sWitCll element on willmake electrical contact with the terminal 41, thereby closing anelectric .ircuit, as shown in Fig. 8, and energizing the solenoid 31which throws the clutch element 28 to the right and establishes drivingconnection between the shaft 22 and the reel 14., so that the latterwill. be rewound when the motor 19 is energized. as will be explainedlater. The controller for rewinding the reel 15 is similar inconstruction and operation to that described with reference to the reel14:, and includes the fixed and movable terminals 4-2 and 4-3,respectively, which by contact are adapted to energize the solenoid 32..This controller will also be actuated by a break in the continuity-ofthe web and will enter a depression 44: in the reel 15, thereby bringingthe terminals 42 and l3into electrical contact.

.. The motor which drives the shaft-.22 and consequently the reels,through the agency of, the 'Inechanismabove described," is adaptsprocketpear 27 tired to the shaft 17. A ed to be put into operation at the willof the operator, thereby revolving either one reel or the other,according to the position of the clutch element 28 and causing thesign-carrying web to be advanced to exhibit a sign in the window 18.This operation is performed by the operator closing the motor circuit bymeans of a suitable switch, such as a push button switch 4:5. The motorcircult, the lead wires of which are designated generally by 4C6 and4:7, and the solenoid circuit, the lead wires of which are designatedgenerally by 48 and 4.9, are each connected through the agency of acut-out switch 51 with a suitable source of electric current indicatedby the battery 52. A light bulb (is suitably positioned for illuminatingthe sign is in series with the mo tor and solenoid circuits and will becon stantly lighted while the switch 51 is closed.

1'11 the wiring diagram, Fig. '8, the switch 54- representsdiagrammatically the single 1 e arm :11 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 andlikewise designated by 54. A suitable s ning 55 tends to close thisknife switch, and the latter is adapted to be opened by an automaticcontrol device which will now be described. This control device isoperated by the web for the purpose of opening the switch when the webhas traveled a predetermined distance. It comprises a friction surfaceroller 56 mounted on a carriage 57. in turn freely slidable on fixedguides Thisroller carries a cam 59 having a raised portion 61 adapted tooperate a cam-follower 62, which is connected by means of a link 68 withthe knife ot the switch The friction roller 56 engages the back of theweb 16 and for the purpose of insuring frictional contact therewith. anadditional roller 64; is provided at the front of the web. this rollerbeing carried by the frame slidable-on theguides 58. Both frames orcan'iages 57 and 65 are urged together by contractile springs 66 so thatthe rollers will grip the interposed web. As a result of the foregoing,and assuming that the web has been put in motion in either direction.the raised portion 61 of the cam will be moved from under the fol lower62, allowing theknife switch 54- to close, thereby closing the motorcircuit and continuing the feed of the web. When the web has advanced alineal distance equal to the circumference of the roller 56, the raisedportion 61 of the cam will ride un der the follower 62 and opentheswitch 54, thus shutting off the motor and stopping the feed of the web.For, the purpose of instantly stopping the reels and drive mechanismafter the motor current I has been shut o'tti have provided a suitablefriction brake for each reel, consisting in the present instance of afriction disk 67 pressed by a spring 68 against the retractablereel-supporting spindle 69. This spindle 69 engaged in a socket and slot71 in the end of the reel is supported at one end by a retractablespindle 69 and at its opposite end by a fixed driving spindle 72. Itfollows that the reels are interchangeable and reversible end for end.

The operation is as follows: Referring to Fig. 8, this shows the switch51 closed, the switch 5 open, and the clutch element connecting themotor with the driving train leading to the reel. 14, this being theposition of the parts shown in the other figures. Inasmuch as the motorcircuit is open, the reels are at a standstill. When the operatordesires to exhibit the next succeeding sign, he presses the push button45, thereby closing the motor circuit and driving the reel 14 in acounter-clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 3. This will cause theupwardly moving web to revolve the roller 56 and close the switch 54. asdescribed above. The motor circuit remains closed and the web will. beadvanced until the cam portion 61 opens the circuit and stops the feedof the web as already described. This cycle of operations will berepeated, the operator closing the motor circuit by means of the switcheach time it is desired to exhibit a new sign. hen all of the signs havebeen exhibited, by upward travel of the web, the feed of the latter willbe automatically reversed by the action of. the controller 42 whichenergizes the solenoid 32 and causes the clutch element 28 to connectthe motor with the driving train leading to the reel 15. Vhen the switch4.5 is now closed, the web will. be advanced in the opposite directionto position the next succeeding sign in the exhibit wndow.

it will be manifest that a changeable exhibitor of this character isespecially desirable and suitable for exhibiting street or station signsin street cars and other public carriers, since by showing the signs insuccession during the feeding of the web in. each direction, the signswill be shown 1n order both going and returning over a given route. Itshould be understood however, that my invention is not limited to thisparicular use, but is of general application a changeable exhibitor forshowing cards, pictures and signs of various descriptions. It shouldlikewise be understood that the wiring diagram shown is simply forpurpose of illustration for properly co-ordinating the several parts andinstrumentalities employed; and while I have shown a single workingembodiment of my invention, it should be understood that considerablechange might be made in the construction and arrangement of partswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invenion as explainedin the appended claims:

I claim:

A changeable exhibitor of the character described comprising incombination a pair of reels, a web wound on said reels and adapted tofeed from one to the other by rotation thereof, a reel-driving shaftcoaxial with each reel, an electric motor, a clutch shaft parallel withone of said reel-driving shafts and in constant driving connection withthe motor, a pair of spaced clutch elements loose on said clutch shaft,one of said clutch elements being in constant driving connection withone of said reel-driving shafts and the other in constant drivingconnection with the other reel-driving shaft, a clutch element splinedon said clutch shaft and adapted to be shifted into engagement witheither of the first mentioned clutch elements. clutch-shifter lever. apair of solcnoids. a core bar therefor connected to said clutch lever,means a ctuatcd by the web for causing the motor to operateintermittently for predetermined periods, and means actuated on theunwinding of each reel for energizing one of the solenoids for throwingthe movable clutch element to its opposite position. whereby to reversethe drive of the reels when either one has been unwound.

EDWARD D. lVEED.

